Houma fisherman enters first tarpon of annual rodeo

GRAND ISLE — Cory Cheramie of Houma has watched for years as his father and his friends made their assaults in the tarpon category at the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.

Kelly McElroyStaff Writer

GRAND ISLE — Cory Cheramie of Houma has watched for years as his father and his friends made their assaults in the tarpon category at the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.But on Friday, it was Cory's time to shine with a silverback.Cory Cheramie, 22, brought in the first tarpon of the rodeo about 6:45 p.m. Friday. After nearly two full days of fishing it looked as though there wouldn't be any tarpon weighed until Cheramie came in with the fish an hour and 15 minutes before the scales closed at Sand Dollar Marina.It is the only tarpon weighed so far coming in at 102 pounds, 3 ounces, and it was caught in Grand Bayou in Terrebonne Parish. The fish was being weighed just as a torrential downpour began.

"It's exciting especially because my dad (Kurt) and his buddies have been doing it since like 1977," Cheramie said. "I just started fishing with them a few years ago. Most of the time I was just out on the boat to watch and try to learn. Now I've learned a lot, and they let me get two of the rods."And one of the rods started screaming."It just so happened that the fish hooked up on one of mine, and they let me reel it in," Cheramie said. "It's exciting because I'm following in my dad's footsteps. It's not the biggest fish. It's not the big one we were looking for, but we are going to try again (today). I'm just so excited to be the first one on the board."There was also some excitement on Louis Pellegrin of Houma's boat on Friday. He and his wife, Kim, were out looking for cobia in calm conditions.Louis was trying to get one hooked for his wife to reel in because she had never caught one when he saw the fish jump out of the water."When I hooked that one, and it jumped out of the water, I said, ‘That's a rodeo fish,' " Louis Pellegrin said.The fish sits at first in a full cobia category at 43-0."This is the first time I've fished this rodeo," Louis Pellegrin said. "It's exciting, but I'll be more excited (tonight) if it stays up there."Like the cobia category, grouper was also filled. Dustin Mule' of Luling leads the way with an 86-7 fish followed by Bill Laupus of Atlanta at 62-9 and Bensen Tucker of Myrtle Grove at 32-15."We were fishing the West Delta area, and we were using pogies," Tucker said. "It was pretty choppy but not too bad. Hopefully we can comeback (today) with a good one. We ran out of time (Friday). We are going for a 100 (pound grouper)."Just before the scales closed on Friday, Miles Dixon of Baton Rouge came in with an 81-11 yellowfin tuna.The fish sat in second place behind Ryan LeBlanc of Pierre Part's 82-15 yellowfin when the scales closed on Friday."It was a little rough on the way out, but we pushed through," Dixon said. "About 8:30-9 o'clock it started getting better and better. The guy who got me got a good fish."Dixon said he and his friends may or may not go in search for a bigger yellowfin today."It depends on how it goes at Artie's (Friday night)," Dixon said. Fishing will continue until 6 tonight with the weigh station located at Sand Dollar Marina, 158 Sand Dollar Court in Grand Isle.